It is clear that Going it Alone delivers higher first-year returns, but
what about into the future? Partnering with a large pharmaceutical
company may provide worthwhile
long-term benefits with subsequent products (although this
analysis did not attempt to address
that hypothesis).

Emerging companies also need to
weigh the other benefits of partnering—capital, expertise, relationships with stakeholders, and
leverage in the market—against
the downside—loss of control.

This can be difficult for entrepreneurs to accept, especially as it
may extend to the very direction
into which the compound is taken.

Emerging companies that choose
to work with partners should enter
negotiations with a strong position
and a full understanding of the
deal’s implications.

Companies that elect to gothrough the late stages of devel-opment, regulatory approval,and commercialization without apartner obviously need expertiseto raise the necessary capital andthen must decide how best to staffthe required functions. Today,there are operations and consult-ing partners that allow emergingcompanies that choose Going itAlone to invest less to stand upoperations. When looking for acommercial outsourcing solutionspartner, a proven track recordwithin healthcare information,analytics and technology alongwith deep therapeutic expertise,including field based teams andback office support should beprerequisites. For emerging globalbiopharmaceutical companiesseeking to optimize their newproduct’s commercial value, anoutsource partner can minimizeoperational risk, lower the cost oftheir commercial operation, andincrease speed to insight, all whilemaintaining long term corporateflexibility.